but but but im not getting my tranny from the dealer. Im gettin it from ASG (from www.Domesticperformance.com) who doesnt require a core charge.

I'll see if i can find out why tomoorrow. I was going through the service assisant cause the manager was test riding a car at the time.

Its those clips that scare me, i usually break things like that.

I remember the same thing on my 93, The dealer wanted $800 for the instrument cluster core. A new one was $200 with exchange. This was at a discounted cost.

Did you try GMpartsdirect.com yet?

Actually the core charge is probably correct. The reason behind such a high core charge is that it means these parts are in short supply to get rebuilt & they want to make damn sure you return it back to them!

Thanks for the reply Rat. I knew there had to be some logical reason

Which clips are you referring to? The ones holding the front plastic trim panels on? Those will let go okay if you just pull firmly outwards. Just _stop_ pulling as soon as the closest clip lets go, move along to the next one, and pull that one, etc. The point here is simply that the panel won't come off by just yanking hard on one end of it; you have to methodically pop each clip one at a time, then it all lifts off just fine.

As for the clips on the circuit board that the gauges clip into, those will be just fine. You just get your fingers around the edge of the circuit board you're lifting off, wiggle it a little this way and that, and you'll see how the pins come off.